Mindful Black Friday Sale Haul: Sephora, Tarte, Becca, Muji, J Crew, New Balance, Rockport Mary Jane Shoes

How did you make out with Black Friday?  I have never been one of those people who line up on the sidewalk at 2 am in the morning.  These days I usually utilize Black Friday to get my hands on Christmas pressies at a price that eases the strain on my wallet and to get replacements for things that have long since bid goodbye to their best before date.  I have a running list in my head of needs balanced with wants.  I hesitated on calling my buys a "haul" and settled on calling them a mindful or intentional haul (only slightly less cringeworthy!).  Did you stop in at Sephora?  I do love checking out the limited edition boxed sets that brands come out with specifically for Black Friday and the holidays.  I picked up this boxed set from Tarte.

You get a blush in Ornate which is a lovely coral that I know will suit me to a "T", a mini lipstick called Surf's Up which is a warm brown pink, and their Lights Camera Lashes mascara.  The set that I got last year had a full size lipstick and I do wish that this year's lipstick was also full size but for $13.00 it is a screaming deal so I can forgive the mini sized lipstick.

I picked up this set from Becca.  I have never tried anything from Becca so I am really looking forward to acquainting myself with the Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight in Moonstone.

Becca's highlighters are known to be holy grail products so I was really pleased to pick this up for $20.00.

Next up, I think every beauty vlogger on the planet has stacks of Muji's acrylic storage cases sitting on her/his vanity.  Well, I am no beauty vlogger but I was growing tired of the mess on my table.  I have noticed that Muji's sales are far from being doorcrashers.  They are usually very sedate affairs but for this Black Friday, their acrylic storage line was 30% off.  Woot!

The long wide 3 drawer case was completely sold out so I had to settle for the smaller, 2 drawer case.  Now I know why this line is so popular.  The clear acrylic is so sleek and minimal and you can see at a glance what is inside and in which drawer.  Honestly, I could spend hours opening and closing the drawers.

Next, I have had a long standing love affair with Mary Janes in all its incarnations whether as a high heel, flat or wedge.  My old pair of wedge heeled Mary Janes were in a dire condition.  I tend to wear shoes until the straps and buckles are hanging by a thread, the leather is splitting apart and the soles are disintegrating.  Unless you have no choice, do not take frugality to the extreme like me.  I am worried that I have permanently broken my feet as a result.  So I was thrilled as anything to pick a new pair from Rockport.

What, Rockport, you say?  Gone are the days when I would make a beeline for the stilettos whenever there was a sale.  These days, the question in my mind is "Can I walk in them?"  Rockport has a line called Cobb Hill which is slightly dressier but still prioritizing comfort.  Hopefully, I am not in granny, orthopedic shoe territory just yet and these Mary Janes ride that comfortable yet pretty line just right.  The fact that they are riffing off Chie Mihara shoes but at a much more affordable price point doesn't hurt either.

Last but by no means least, are a pair of sneakers by New Balance for J. Crew.  The soles of my last pair of sneakers literally separated away from the shoe so a replacement was most definitely in order.

To be honest, I am still on the fence about these.  I love the crisp contrast between the navy and the white and the slight retro vibe.  But now I am wondering whether they are a bit too retro?  What do you think?  Yay or nay?

And that's it!  Let me know of your Black Friday scores and adventures!

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LBH Weekly Roundup: Finding the Perfect Nude Lipstick, bareMinerals, Pixi by Petra, Too Faced

I noticed that my alltime favourite lipstick by Too Faced was due to be replaced.  A visit to my nearest Sephora store revealed a calamity.  The La Creme Color Drenched lipsticks had disappeared off the shelves with only the liquid lipsticks available for purchase in person.  My lipstick of choice, Spice Spice Baby, was now only available online.  Ahhh!!!  I know that shopping online is de rigueur these days but, for makeup, I really enjoy going in to a store, wandering the aisles and testing out new products. So the hunt was on for a duplicate.

bareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick in XOX

First, I purchased bareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick in XOX.  I had been curious about the Gen Nude line for a long time and this was as good a time as any to finally try out a mineral based lipstick.  It has a slightly darker berry tone than the Too Faced lipstick and has a slicker, less creamy feel to it.  It doesn't have much of a scent.  The only problem is that, because it is darker than my lips, eventually I get that eaten off, ring around my lips look which I find quite naif.  This was a bit disappointing as I remembering dithering between XOX and Love, which is a slightly brighter berry tone, for a very long time.  If you know a way to prevent this, please let me know!

Pixi by Petra in Honey Bare

Next, I purchased Pixi by Petra's Matte Lustre lipstick in Honey Bare.  This was another brand that I had been curious about for a really long time.  When Shoppers (Canadian pharmacy) decided to carry it, I was very excited.  Because it is a demi or matte lustre lipstick, you get the matte look that is so trendy right now but the comfortable moisturizing feel of a traditional lipstick.  The only drawback to this one was that I would get this weird tingling feeling on the sides of my tongue every time I licked my lips.  Have you ever experienced a reaction like this?  It didn't last for too long but was disconcerting.  Also, I found that the lipstick clung to every flaky bit on my lips which is not a good look.  So it is important that your lips are moisturized and exfoliated beforehand.  The lipstick comes packaged in a cellophane wrapper.  I am not sure if the lipstick had been sitting on the shelf for a long time but when I unwrapped it, the cellophane disintegrated into a million little bits which clung to my fingers like superglue.  The initial scent, after I had scrubbed my hands under the tap which was the only way I could get rid of the plastic bits (can't be good for the environment), was the standard waxy lipstick scent of a masstige product.  So, I wasn't impressed at first.  I've since warmed up to it though now that I have figured out how to work with it.

Here are all three lipsticks lined up.

L to R: bareMinerals, Pixi by Petra, Too Faced

Here is a swatch.

L to R: Too Faced, bareMinerals, Pixi by Petra

As you can see, the colours are very close.  I will probably go ahead and order another Too Faced lipstick as I don't want to be without my favourite but it is good to know that I have backup in the other ones.  I love the yummy sugary sweet scent Too Faced's lipsticks and the colour of Spice, Spice Baby is the perfect nude shade for me.  Do you have favourite makeup items that you just can't give up?

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LBH Weekly Roundup: Harvest Snaps, J Crew Eyelet Shirt, Ole Henricksen

Ahhhh, Spring is coming in strong!  Somehow, the warmer weather puts me in mind of eating mindfully.  It is difficult to move past the Easter chocolate extravaganza and snacking has always been my downfall.  Luckily, I discovered these Harvest Snaps and have been obsessed ever since.

They are baked, low salt, whole pea pods and remind me of the green pea version of corn puffs.  Somehow, I expected them to be crispy and crunchy but they are feather-like in weight and texture.  They come in lots of other flavours like Wasabi Ranch and you can even get Lentil Snaps in Tomato Basil.  The problem is that I could easily finish an entire bag in one sitting as they are so light and airy which rather defeats the purpose of healthy snacking.

The advent of warmer weather has meant that I have been feeling very hot and smothered in my winter tops. I picked up this J Crew eyelet shirt this past week.  I have tried being thrifty by checking out the thrift stores but it isn't as easy for me these days to engage in multiple trips hunting for the right top that will suit my needs.  When I saw this shirt, the last one in my size at my local J Crew, I figured it was meant to be.

via J Crew

It buttons up the front which means I can put it on without too much struggle, is loose fitting so disguises the omnipresent muffin top and the slightly billowing sleeves take care of the batwings. 

And lastly, Sephora had an Insider Sale this past Friday.  Did you get anything?  More to the point, did you dare set foot into a store?  It was pandemonium at my local Sephora.  I was quite sad when I finished off my Ole Henricksen skincare kit and was very pleased to see he had brought out another small kit.

I am kicking myself that I didn't pick up more but my brain tends to freeze when confronted with hordes of manic shoppers.

Are you enjoying warm weather, wherever you are?

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Summer Makeup

Hello Friends,  Summer is finally upon us!  I don't know about you but my face tends to become an oilslick by the end of the day.  I am not quite sure what it is about an office environment but the recycled air just causes my skin to go into hyperdrive.   I really wanted to find makeup that would last 8 hours plus in the office.  I came across this fantastic coral toned blush from Too Faced that is supposed to last 16 hours (!).

I haven't had it on for 16 hours but I have had it on for at least 12 hours and yes, it does last without fading even without primer. Granted, I am in an office and not at the gym but so far so good!  The coral tone gives a natural, subtle flush and is perfect with a summer tan.  And check out the little bunnies pressed into the powder.

How cute is that?  When I showed it to Monsieur, he immediately said I would be reluctant to use it and it is true.  I have been swirling my brush very carefully around the bunnies.  And what's not to love about a heart shaped compact?
Lately, I have also been obsessed with my Stila waterproof eyeliner.  This stuff stays on!

The last addition in my Summer makeup collection is these very cool looking Sephora blotting papers.  They are made of charcoal.  They come inside a handy mirrored compact and soak up the shine like nobody's business.  Now I am on the hunt for a long wearing lipstick.  Most longwearing lipsticks tend to dry out the lips so if you have any suggestions let me know!
Lastly, I have finally hopped on to the Instagram wagon.  You can find me at @lheurebleuewithchloe and @lheurebleueathome.

I am linking up with Share Your Cup.